JP2010198994A - Tap type communication power supply adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tap type communication power supply adapter capable of relaying PLC communication without the need of carrying a power supply adapter even for an electric appliance needing one. <P>SOLUTION: The tap type communication power supply adapter 1 capable of feeding power to an electric appliance 2 storing power supply specifications for receiving power is so structured to be provided with a power-receiving attachment plug 11 plugged into a plug inlet 100 of a commercial power supply, one or more power-feeding plug outlets 12 feeding power to the attachment plug 21 of the plugged-in electric appliance 2, a communication control unit 13 capable of providing a line corresponding to each power-feeding plug outlet 12 with a PLC communication function, a power supply specifications processing unit 14 capable of reading power supply specifications from the electric appliance 2 with its attachment plug 21 plugged into the power-feeding plug outlet 12, and a power conversion control unit 15 capable of generating power in accordance with the power supply specifications read out by the power supply specifications processing unit 14 and outputting the power generated to a corresponding power-feeding plug outlet 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tap-type communication power adapter having a power adapter function and a PLC (Power Line Communication) communication function and having one or more insertion ports.

  Notebook computers and video cameras that use external power adapters have become widespread, contributing to the miniaturization, weight reduction, portability, etc. of these products. Here, portability is usually realized via a battery as a built-in secondary power source. On the other hand, digitization is progressing also in so-called home appliances, and even PLC communication performed via indoor wiring is becoming possible.

  PLC communication is highly convenient because it can be used for remote operation of home appliances, checking items stored in home appliances, and the like. For this reason, it is thought that the electric product which has a PLC communication function will spread. On the other hand, these digitized electrical products have been energy-saving along with technological progress and the demands of the times, and it is considered that the current specification of current electrical products is generally reduced.

  In recent years, a technique for accessing the Internet via PLC communication performed via indoor wiring is also known. For techniques relating to PLC communication, refer to Patent Documents 1 to 3.

Japanese Patent No. 3915579 JP 2001-307835 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-112468

  However, the conventional technology has a problem that even when a portable laptop computer is highly portable, a power adapter is required at the take-out destination and it is often necessary to carry it. Moreover, the contact area which an adapter occupies to an insertion port is large, and an adapter cannot be connected to all the insertion ports. Furthermore, the adapter is exposed to the surroundings, which is not preferable for safety and aesthetics.

  In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a tap type communication power adapter that can relay PLC communication without having to carry a power adapter even if it is an electrical product that requires a power adapter.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following configurations.
The invention according to claim 1 is a tap-type communication power adapter that can supply power to an electrical product that stores a power supply specification for receiving power, and a power receiving plug for receiving power by being inserted into an insertion port of a commercial power source, One or more power supply outlets for supplying power to the plugs of the inserted electrical products, a communication control unit capable of providing a PLC communication function to a line corresponding to each power supply outlet, and the power supply plugs A power supply specification processing unit capable of reading a power supply specification from an electrical product in which the plug is inserted into the mouth, and power is generated according to the power supply specification read by the power supply specification processing unit, and the generated power corresponds And a power conversion control unit capable of outputting to the power supply outlet.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a tapped communication power adapter capable of supplying power to an electrical product storing a power supply specification for receiving power, the power receiving plug being inserted into a commercial power source and receiving power A communication control unit capable of providing a PLC communication function to a line corresponding to each power supply outlet, and one or more power supply outlets for supplying power to the plug of the inserted electrical product, A power supply specification processing unit that can read the power supply specification from an electrical product with an insertion plug inserted into the slot, and power is generated according to the power supply specification read by the power supply specification processing unit, and the generated power is supplied accordingly And a power conversion control unit that can output to an insertion port, so even if it is an electrical product that requires a power adapter, it is not necessary to carry the power adapter and can carry out PLC communication. It is possible to realize the adapter.

It is a block diagram which shows one structural example of the tap type | mold communication power adapter by this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the power supply specification which the power supply specification storage part 23 stores. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the tap type | mold communication power adapter shown in FIG. 1 in detail. It is a flowchart about the power supply process which a tap type | mold communication power adapter performs.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings showing examples. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a tap type communication power adapter according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the tap communication power adapter 1 includes a power receiving plug 11, one or more power supply insertion ports 12, a communication control unit 13, a power specification processing unit 14, and a power conversion control unit 15. A PLC communication function and, if necessary, a power adapter function can be realized.

  The electrical product 2 includes an insertion plug 21 for receiving power via the power supply inlet 12, a communication control unit 22 having a PLC communication function, and a power supply specification storage unit 23 for storing a power supply specification of power reception. Here, the communication control unit 22 receives power for operation from the tap communication power supply adapter 1 via a predetermined frequency, and can read and return the power supply specification from the power supply specification storage unit 23. With respect to the power supply specification reading and reply function, the communication control unit 22 may be configured in the same way as a non-contact IC card having a coupling coil instead of an antenna, for example. In this case, the communication control unit 22 may incorporate the power supply specification storage unit 23 in the same manner as the non-contact IC card with respect to these functions.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the power supply specification stored in the power supply specification storage unit 23. The power supply specifications are stored, for example, in the manufacturing process of the electric product 2, and as shown in FIG. 2, DC / AC-specific T1, voltage T2, current T3, and polarity T4 are defined. Here, the DC / AC-specific T1 specifies whether the electrical product 2 operates between DC and AC. The voltage T2 and the current T3 specify the rated value of the electrical product 2, for example. For the current T3, a multiplier is used on the assumption that the range is widened. The polarity T4 is a direct current polarity, and either “+” or “−” is set. In addition, a spare T5 is provided for future expansion.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing in more detail the configuration of the tap communication power adapter shown in FIG.
The communication control unit 13 includes a plug insertion detection unit 131 that detects that the insertion plug 21 has been inserted into the power supply insertion port 12, and a PLC communication unit 132 that includes, for example, a PLC modem and has a PLC communication function.

  The plug insertion detection unit 131 notifies the power supply specification processing unit 14 that reads the power supply specification from the electrical product 2 about the power supply insertion port 12 into which the insertion plug 21 is inserted. The notification (hereinafter referred to as plug-in detection notification) is preferably performed via a digital signal, but may also be performed via an analog signal. Further, the plug insertion detection unit 131 may be configured as a switch, and an insertion detection notification may be performed via ON / OFF of the switch. In this case, a switch as the plug insertion detection unit 131 may be connected to the power supply specification processing unit 14 via another conducting wire, and an ON / OFF detection of the switch may be detected to enable notification of insertion detection.

  The plug insertion detection unit 131 can also detect and notify that the insertion plug 21 has been removed from the power supply insertion port 12 into which the insertion plug 21 has been inserted. This notification (hereinafter referred to as a sampling detection notification) is realized in the same manner as the insertion detection notification and is output to the power specification processing unit 14.

  The PLC communication unit 132 is connected to the commercial power supply outlet 100 via the power receiving plug 11, and is connected to the electric product 2 by inserting the plug 21 of the electric product 2 into the power supply inlet 12. The The PLC communication unit 132 can also perform PLC communication through such a connection, and can also relay PLC communication between the electrical product 2 and an external device (not shown).

  The power supply specification processing unit 14 includes a power supply specification reading unit 141, a control parameter (represented as control P in FIG. 2) calculation unit 142, and a control parameter storage unit 143. The power supply specification processing unit 14 configured as described above reads the power supply specification from the power supply specification storage unit 23 of the electrical product 2, calculates and stores control parameters used for control of the power conversion control unit 15.

  In response to the insertion detection notification from the plug insertion detection unit 131, the power supply specification reading unit 141 stores this notification in the control parameter storage unit 143. Here, the control parameter storage unit 143 stores power supply specification reading control parameters in advance. The power supply specification reading control parameter is a control parameter for generating power to be supplied for reading the power supply specification (hereinafter referred to as power supply specification read power).

  The power supply specification reading unit 141 also outputs an insertion detection notification and a power supply specification read control parameter storage area to the power conversion control unit 15. In response to this output, the power conversion control unit 15 generates power supply specification read power and outputs it to the electrical product 2. The communication control unit 22 and the power specification storage unit 23 operate with the input power specification read power, and the power specification is read and transmitted to the tap communication power adapter 1. In response to this, the power supply specification reading unit 141 receives the power supply specification, stores it in the control parameter storage unit 143, and outputs a storage completion notification (hereinafter referred to as specification storage completion notification) to the control parameter calculation unit 142. .

  In response to the specification storage completion notification from the power supply specification reading unit 141, the control parameter calculation unit 142 calculates a specification power generation control parameter and the like for generating power that conforms to the power supply specification (hereinafter referred to as output specification power). To do. The control parameter for specification power generation is stored in the control parameter storage unit 143 in association with the insertion detection notification, and is referenced from the power conversion control unit 15.

  The power conversion control unit 15 includes a DC voltage control unit 151, a DC current control unit 152, an AC voltage control unit 153, and a DC / AC power converter 154. The DC voltage control unit 151 refers to the control parameter storage unit 143 in response to the specification storage completion notification, and the DC / AC power converter 154 so as to generate a necessary DC voltage according to the specification power generation control parameter. To control. Similarly, the DC current control unit 152 refers to the control parameter storage unit 143 in response to the specification storage completion notification, and the DC / AC power is generated so that the necessary direct current is generated according to the specification power generation control parameter. The converter 154 is controlled.

  The AC voltage control unit 153 refers to the control parameter storage unit 143 in response to the insertion detection notification and the specification storage completion notification, and controls the DC / AC power converter 154 so that the necessary AC voltage is generated. . Specifically, the DC / AC power conversion is performed so that an AC voltage is output according to the control parameter for power supply specification reading for the plug-in detection notification and an AC voltage according to the control parameter for generating the specified power for the specification storage completion notification. The device 154 is controlled. Here, in the case of a control parameter for generating a specified power functioning as a commercial power source, the AC voltage control unit 153 may control the plug 21 so as to be directly connected to the commercial power outlet 100.

  The DC / AC power converter 154 is connected to the commercial power supply outlet 100 via the power receiving plug 11 and is composed of, for example, a combination of a rectifier circuit, an inverter, a switching element and the like corresponding to the power supply inlet 12. . These combinations are provided for each power supply insertion port 12 and are performed so that the power supply specification read power and the output specification power can be generated independently of the other power supply insertion ports 12.

  Generation of these electric powers is performed in response to control signals from the control units 151 to 153. The generated power is output to the corresponding power supply inlet 12 via the PLC communication unit 132. However, when the power supply specification is the same as that for a mere commercial power supply, the switching element may be controlled so that the plug 21 is bypassed to the commercial power outlet 100. Here, as necessary, the PLC communication unit 132 superimposes the communication signal received from the power feeding inlet 12 on the output.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of power supply processing performed by the tap communication power adapter. In the power supply process, a process is performed until the tap-type communication power adapter 1 supplies the above-mentioned output specification power to the power feeding inlet 12 into which the plug 21 is inserted. The power supply process relates to one power supply insertion port 12, and the same applies to the other power supply insertion ports 12.

  First, the power supply specification processing unit 14 determines whether or not the insertion plug 21 has been inserted into the new power supply insertion port 12 at predetermined time intervals based on the presence or absence of the insertion detection notification (S101). When it is determined in step S101 that the plug has not been inserted, the power supply specification processing unit 14 repeats this process.

  When it is determined in step S101 that the plug 21 has been inserted into the new power supply inlet 12, the power supply specification processing unit 14 detects this power supply inlet 12 based on the insertion detection notification (S102). .

  Next, the power supply specification processing unit 14 initializes and stores a storage area for storing the insertion detection notification (hereinafter referred to as an insertion detection information storage area) in the control parameter storage unit 143 (S103). Next, the power supply specification processing unit 14 supplies power supply specification read power to the electrical product 2 via the power conversion control unit 15, and reads and stores the power supply specification (S104). The storage is performed in the insertion detection information storage area in association with the insertion detection notification.

  Next, the power supply specification processing unit 14 calculates a control parameter for generating a specified power based on the power supply specification stored in step S104 and stores it in the control parameter storage unit 143 (S105). The storage is performed in the insertion detection information storage area in association with the insertion detection notification and the power supply specification.

  Next, the power conversion control unit 15 refers to the power supply specification in response to the specification storage completion notification from the power supply specification processing unit 14, and uses either DC or AC power based on the DC / AC-specific T1. It is determined whether or not it should occur (S106). Here, it is assumed that the specification storage completion notification is attached with the specific information of the insertion detection information storage area.

  When it is determined in step S106 that the current is DC, the power conversion control unit 15 sets the polarity (S111), sets the DC voltage (S112), and sets the DC current based on the power supply specification (S113). . When it is determined in step S106 that the current is alternating current, the power conversion control unit 15 sets an alternating voltage based on the power supply specification (S121).

  When the direct current is set in step S113 or the alternating voltage is set in step S121, the power conversion control unit 15 operates to keep the output within a predetermined range based on the control parameter for generating the specified power ( S131).

  Next, the power supply specification processing unit 14 determines whether or not the insertion plug 21 has been extracted from the power supply insertion port 12 based on the presence or absence of the above-described extraction detection notification at predetermined time intervals (S132). When it is determined in step S132 that it has not been extracted, the process returns to step S131, and the subsequent processes are repeated. When it is determined in step S132 that it has been extracted, the process returns to step S101, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

  The tap type communication power adapter according to the present invention is used as a power tap having both a PLC communication function and a power adapter function, and can be used in an electronic component manufacturing industry, a communication equipment manufacturing industry, etc. for manufacturing these devices. Increase the usefulness of such products.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tap type | mold communication power adapter 2 Electrical product 11 Power receiving plug 12 Power feeding inlet 13 Communication control unit 14 Power supply specification processing unit 15 Power conversion control unit 21 Plug 22 Communication control part 23 Power supply specification storage part 100 of commercial power supply Plug 131 Plug insertion detection unit 132 PLC communication unit 141 Power supply specification reading unit 142 Control parameter calculation unit 143 Control parameter storage unit 151 DC voltage control unit 152 DC current control unit 153 AC voltage control unit 154 DC / AC power conversion T1 DC / AC separate T2 Voltage T3 Current T4 Polarity T5 Reserve

Claims (1)

It is a tap type communication power adapter that can supply power to electrical products that store power supply specifications for receiving power,
A power receiving plug for receiving power by being inserted into a commercial power outlet;
One or more feed outlets for feeding power to the plugs of the plugged electrical products;
A communication control unit capable of providing a PLC communication function to the line corresponding to each power supply outlet;
A power supply specification processing unit capable of reading a power supply specification from an electrical product in which the plug is inserted into the power supply outlet;
Power is generated according to the power supply specification read by the power supply specification processing unit, and the power conversion control unit capable of outputting the generated power to the corresponding power feeding outlet,
A tap-type communication power adapter comprising:

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